"We are trying to heighten awareness," she said during a half-hour telephone conference.

First elected in November 2006, Yee represents the First Equalization District, which includes Lake County, the Bay Area and coastal counties from Del Norte down to Santa Barbara.

Yee discussed two programs targeted at aiding specific groups of people during tax season.

The Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program offers tax-filing support to people earning $51,000 or less and needing help to prepare their returns. It also assists disabled people and non-English speakers.

Tax Counseling for the Elderly (TCE) provides tax help to low- and middle-income taxpayers, with special attention given to people 60 and older.

The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) website lists the Lake Family Resource Center sites in Clearlake, Kelseyville and Lakeport as program providers. Locations are also available in Ukiah, Calistoga and Santa Rosa.

Yee also focused on the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC), a refundable credit for low- and middle-income people and couples, primarily for those with qualifying children. There are income, filing and family-status requirements for the credit.

Four out of five people eligible for the EITC claim it, but officials want to see that total reach 100 percent, Yee said.

"It is money that families obviously can use," she added.

Types of eligible people who tend not to claim the credit include rural residents, non-English speakers, the self-employed, parents with disabled children, grandparents raising their grandchildren and people with recent changes to their marital, financial or parental status, Yee said.

The board member warned residents to remain on alert for con artists. Protecting personal and confidential information from identity theft is vital, she said.

Tax-related scams can run rampant this time of year, especially via mail, telephone and email, according to Yee.

"The Internal Revenue Service never, ever, ever uses email to contact taxpayers about tax issues the initial contact is always by letter," she said. Yee advised people to call the IRS directly to confirm the legitimacy of any communication purported to be from the department.

Residents should also watch out for "unscrupulous tax preparers," Yee said. "The bottom line is regardless of who prepares the tax return, it's the taxpayer who is ultimately responsible for its accuracy."